The Exorcist is FOX’s latest addition to its hellish lineup and is making huge waves as it quenches horror fanatics thirst for fright. What better way to do so than thrilling us all by resurrecting a sequel to the movie classic based on Peter William Blatty’s 1971 novel. The novel was inspired after Blatty read about an actual exorcism of a young boy in Cottage City, Maryland in 1949.
Fans of this cult classic know the story well, while some of us—myself included—have also read Blatty’s novel. What’s always been most appealing to me is that the book and movie were versions that fully complimented each other. The movie somehow brought to life visuals that words couldn’t quite capture.
A Frightening First Glance
Similarly, at least judging by Friday’s premier, The Exorcist television series doesn’t disappoint fans, either. Episode One last Friday opened with impressive special effects and a classic and now reinvigorated demonic possession storyline. A mother (Geena Davis) fears evil has entered her home and seeks help from her church. Skeptical, Father Tomas Ortega (Alfonso Herrera) doesn’t know how to help Angela Rance (Geena Davis) with her daughter or whatever she thinks is in her home.
However, Father Tomas can’t shake a recurring nightmare. The vision takes Father Tomas in a room where he witnesses an exorcism of a little boy, which leads him to Father Marcus Keane (Ben Daniels). The show poses the reasoning, that if evil exists so must God.
There is a lot The Exorcist wishes to expand upon, mainly adding depth to the concept of demons and the supernatural horror genre.
Some new shows attempting to reboot a cult classic ends up being hyper-criticized for its failure to live up to expectations. The Exorcist TV series will likely win a bunch of awards and I predict it will be one of the most watched shows currently on air. It’s been said that the show is aiming to push the envelope in a way that hasn’t been done. And I can’t wait, as I’ll be watching every episode.
Interestingly enough, the new series airs after FOX’s hit reality show Hell’s Kitchen (7 /10 on IMDB and 88% on Rotten Tomatoes). The title is telling of the network’s interest in greenlighting devilish projects that sure to attract large audiences. Watching Chef Ramsay go all drill sergeant on some poor contestant, might not be your taste. But, you got to admit the show in its 16th season is doing something right. And so is FOX.
Hellish Shows & Ratings
The hellish good time on FOX doesn’t stop there. While critics gave season one a 49 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Lucifer is currently boasting a 8.3 out of 10 on IMDB. It tells the tale of Satan himself as a well-dressed Brit Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) living in Los Angeles and serving as a consultant to Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German).
Currently in Season Two, Lucifer introduces us to a decidedly sexier version of Satan than we have grown accustomed to. He decides to vacation in L.A. and stir up trouble as the owner of piano bar “Lux.” Yes, it’s a far-fetched tale. So is exorcising demons that cause a boy’s head and neck to unnaturally rotate 180 degrees. Still, even if you wish to skip Lucifer on Monday nights, The Exorcist is proving to be a reason to stay home on Friday nights.
Catch The Exorcist not only Fox’s best TV show in my opinion, but the best television show currently on. Also check out Hell’s Kitchen and Lucifer on FOX each week.